His body was tied to a chair in the middle of the room, shirtless. The prison pants they had given him felt rough against his skin. His soft whimpers mixed with the screams of other prisoners in different corners, all going through the same torture. Some who had passed out were thrown into cells.
Kai had seen many things today and felt overwhelming pressure and pain.
His lips were bleeding, his cheeks were bruised, and his ears were torn, with dried blood running down to his neck. His lips were dry and pale. His body was shaking violently, with bruises on his stomach and chest, and several shallow cuts.
And now, the guard still wasn’t done torturing him.
"He’ll be executed in two days, right? Don’t let him die," said another guard passing by.
"I’m really annoyed just looking at him. He looks so innocent, but he’s really sly."
"You can’t judge people by their face. How many rapists have we seen who looked charming and innocent? Who would’ve thought they could do such terrible things?"
Kai groaned again as his hair was yanked back hard. It felt like his scalp was tearing. It hurt.
"Should I carve the word ’criminal’ on your body?" the guard asked.
Kai didn’t answer; his neck hurt too much.
"Let’s see where I can carve it." The guard let go of his hair and walked in front of Kai, as if trying to choose the best spot for his artwork.
Kai tensed up when the guard touched his chest. He already had a few cuts, and they hurt terribly. He had never felt so helpless in his life.
He shook his head as the guard pressed the sharp knife tip under his nipple.
"Argh..." Kai screamed in pain. It got worse as the blade was dragged to the right. His fists clenched, his body stiffened. Tears streamed down his face.
The guard seemed to enjoy his job and was used to doing it.
He carved a straight line. He smirked at Kai’s tensed muscles, which were bracing for the next pain.
"You shouldn’t have been born if all you do is evil," the guard said, drawing another line.
Kai cried harder. His body couldn’t take the pain. "P-please... it h-hurts..."
Kai held his breath. The pain came again.
His body tensed once more, and he screamed again as the blade cut deeper.
Suddenly, a deep voice echoed from the far end of the room. All the guards torturing the prisoners turned their heads at the same time.
They were shocked as Huron stepped forward.
With Prince Sylas by his side.
They all quickly stood at attention and bowed respectfully.
Sylas’s eyes locked onto Kai, who was in terrible shape. His fists clenched tightly. His blood boiled. How could they torture the slave ?
But he remembered his promise to Huron not to act recklessly.
Huron looked at Kai, who was a complete mess. He then ordered the guards to take him to the interrogation room.
The guards nodded quickly. The interrogation room was an advanced torture chamber, usually used by captains or generals to get information. It wasn’t uncommon for prisoners to die in that room.
The guards untied Kai and whispered, "Get ready, you might die in there."
Kai closed his eyes. He couldn’t take any more pain. It would be better if they just killed him. He gave in as the guards carried his body to the room at the far end.
All he could see was a bright light inside. The room was quite large, with chains and knives on the walls. The smell of blood filled the air as they entered.
Kai groaned softly as they threw his body onto the floor, landing in a pool of dried blood.
Huron and Sylas walked in.
"Get out!" Sylas ordered, glaring at the guards.
The guards left right away.
Sylas stood still for a moment in front of Kai, who was trying to get up. His heart broke at the sight. The slave’s hands trembled as he tried to support himself.
"Kai..." Sylas called.
Huron quietly closed the door.
Kai heard the familiar voice. He looked up quickly. Then he saw Sylas’s face.
"M-Master..." he whispered. His eyes lit up. He tried to kneel faster, but his body shook uncontrollably.
Sylas quickly grabbed him and lifted him with both arms, placing him gently on a chair by the table.
Huron was surprised to see Sylas kneeling in front of the slave. He cleared his throat to remind the prince, but Sylas didn’t seem to care.
The prince stayed kneeling in front of Kai, wiping the blood off his chest.
"What have they done to you?" Sylas asked softly. He wiped Kai’s face, gently touching every new scar on the slave’s body.
Sylas looked at Huron. "General, please call a doctor."
Huron shook his head. "You can’t do that here, Your Highness."
After a pause, Huron sighed deeply, then left to tell the guards to call a doctor.
Kai didn’t care about anything else. He was just happy to see Sylas. His pale face brightened with a small smile.
"How should I treat you? You scared me," Sylas said.
Kai stayed quiet, his smile fading. Had he upset him?
"I-I’m sorry..." he replied weakly, lowering his head, feeling sad.
Sylas stood up. "You’re not the one at fault. You helped me, but I don’t deserve your kindness. You shouldn’t have gone through this."
Kai looked at Sylas, his eyes still full of sorrow.
"Thank you, Kai. And forgive me for dragging you into this mess," Sylas said, gently stroking the slave’s head. He froze when he saw the wound on Kai’s ear.
Meanwhile, Kai was deep in thought. His heart felt warm from Sylas’s words. He had never been thanked before. That alone made his heart happy.
Sylas took Kai’s hand. "Hold on a bit longer. I’ll get you out. I promise I’ll protect you."
Kai looked at Sylas’s gentle hand, then slowly pulled it to his cheek. He didn’t need anything else. He was sure he would die soon, so he just wanted to feel this happiness for a moment.
Kai was startled when Sylas pulled his hand back, but instead gave him a hug. He blinked, feeling the warmth of the man’s body and the soft scent of his clothes.
Kai smiled without realizing it and leaned his head on the man’s shoulder. Then he closed his eyes.
"Kai, don’t sleep," Sylas whispered, afraid the slave might fall asleep and never wake up. Kai needed treatment. ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by noⅴelfire.net
Kai opened his eyes right away. He felt a little disappointed when Sylas let go of the hug.
"You’ll stay in this room for now. So wait until I come back to get you," Sylas said.
Kai nodded. Would Sylas really come back?